Caramel Cinnamon Apple Enchiladas

So, we’re settling into fall here in the Midwest. I go into fall with mixed feelings. I love, love, love 80-85 degree temperatures of summer, but I also like the coziness of fall. Changing leaves, crackling fires, sweaters, and the beginning of comfort food season. We’re going to ease into the fall season with this recipe. So, in case you haven’t had enough apple recipes already, I have one to add to your arsenal. You’ll want to keep this one front and center.

This recipe smacked me upside the head while I was watching TV. The program I was watching showed a dessert consisting of baked apples nestled in a fried flour tortilla. Because I love apples and fried dough in general, I was thinking it looked pretty good. But then I thought that there was so much that could be done to improve it. And so here we are – Caramel Cinnamon Apple Enchiladas.

We’re not actually going to fry anything here, so right there it’s already healthier for you. Bonus! Baked, not fried. You’re welcome.

We’ll start out by making our apple filling. I know some of you will take a short cut on this step and just buy apple pie filling. If you’re in a hurry, sure okay, we can let that go. I guess. However, if you have the time, I’d highly recommend making your own. It’s so delish! So much more flavorful than the canned stuff.

So, back to the apple filling. I used Granny Smith apples, one of the more “traditional” baking apples. Granny Smith are a bit tart, and they balance out the sweetness of the sugar in this recipe. However, if you’re not down with tart apples, feel free to mix it up. Maybe do a mixture of tart apples with sweet apples. Some other options for tart apples are Empire and Cortland. Good choices for sweet apples are Golden Delicious, Jonagold, and Braeburn. All of these apples hold their shape and don’t become mushy when cooked.

We want the apples to be in chunks, so if you have one of those all-in-one peeler/corer/slicer contraptions that automatically slices, it may not be the best thing to use in this case. I peeled the apples and then used a corer/divider gadget to speed up the chopping process.

A couple of notes on the tortillas. Make sure you flip the tortillas over after coating with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. We want the coating to be on the outside after rolling the tortillas. Also, keep the apple filling at one end of the tortilla to aid in keeping the filling completely inside the tortilla.

After baking, the tortillas are topped with caramel sauce and chopped pecans. Normally, I’d suggest making your own caramel sauce, but the amount of caramel sauce needed for this recipe is so minimal that it’s just not worth your time. Unless you happen to have some homemade caramel sauce at-the-ready, store-bought caramel ice cream topping warmed in the microwave works just fine.

This Caramel Cinnamon Apple Enchilada recipe is a really straightforward apple dessert that is simply divine! It’s like apple pie in a wrap. All the flavors of fall pulled together in a neat little package.

5 from 3 votes

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Caramel Cinnamon Apple Enchiladas

Prep Time

45mins

Cook Time

24mins

Total Time

1hrs9mins

A super straightforward apple dessert that is simply divine! It’s like apple pie in a wrap!

Heat the 2 tablespoons of butter and both of the sugars in a medium sized pot or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When the mixture is melted and bubbling, add the apples and cinnamon to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender but still hold their shape; 13-14 minutes. Transfer apple mixture to rimmed baking sheet to cool for about 30 minutes.

Once the apples are cooled, drain the apples in a sieve placed over a medium-sized bowl. Mix the lemon juice with the drained apple juice.

Meanwhile, prepare the tortillas. Brush each tortilla with melted butter. Liberally cover each tortilla with the cinnamon/sugar mixture, evenly divided. Use fingers to spread mixture over tortilla surface.

Flip tortilla over so that the cinnamon/sugar side is facing down. Spoon ½ cup of the drained cooked apples onto the tortilla, concentrating the apples at one end of the tortilla. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the reserved apple juice over the apples and sprinkle with 1 ¼ to 1 ½ tablespoons of chopped pecans. Fold in the sides of the tortilla, and begin rolling the tortilla from the end containing the apples. Place tortilla, seam-side down, on prepared baking sheet. Repeat for remaining tortillas.

Bake for 10 minutes at 325 degrees. Immediately top with desired amount of caramel sauce and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Serve warm.